Electrically-operated coin-controlled mechanism.



L. A. HElNE.

ELECTRICALLY OPERATED cow CONTROLLED MECHANISM. APPLICATION FILED DEC- 27: 1915- Patented Aug. 7, 1917. f E

- its action is such as to prevent the inser- LEOPOLD A. HEINE, 01? CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

ELECTRIGADLY OPERATED COIN-CONTROLLED MECHANISM.

restate.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. a, rear.

Application iiled December 27, 1915 Serial no. 68,670

operated prepayment devices of the typeadapted to be used in connection with electric motors or'motor driven mechanisms. I am aware that coin operated motor meters for various uses, such as supplying a customer with electric current from a central station companys mains have been developed and are inuse, also that coin operating fan motors are common, and it is in relation to these devices that my-invention is an improvement.

My. device is simple in construction and cheap to manufacture, and the same mav be readily installed in connection with standard mechanism, Its action is immediate and-positive, and the construction is such as to guard against'the use of coins of wrong denominationand of disks of metal of'improper size for its operation. Furthermore,

tion of additional coins while the mechanism is in operation, and at the same time such as to allow the mechanism tobe stopped and started again by turning the current off and on until the prepaid service has been rendered.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 shows a sectional elevation of my invention in geared relation to a motor whose.operation it controls;

Fig. 2 isa sectional plan view of the mechanism on the line AA of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a sectional elevation on the line B-B of Fig. 2, and

Fig. 4 is an elevation of the control disk viewed from the reverse direction from that shown in Fig. 1.

Referring toFig. 1 for ageneral understanding of thefinvention, 1 is the motor whose shaft 2 connects by means of the worm 3, the gear 4:, and the shaft 5, to the control mechanism inclosed in the case 6. Inside the case 6 the shaft 5 is connected to the rotatable control disk 8 through the worm 9 and the gear 10. The control disk 10 is made of insulating material, such as fiber, or some other form of molded insulation, and is provided with a flange 11, which is cut away at a point 12 on its circumference to provide a slot into which a coin 13 canbe dropped when it registers with "the slot 14: in the case. Fastened to the back of the disk and concentric with it there is a contact ring 15 of brass or other conducting material, which forms a part of the motor circuit via the brushes l6 and 17 the brush holders 18 and 19, and the leading in wires 20 and 21. (See Figs. 2 and 3).

At 22 the contact-ring 15 has a circular hole cut through it of such'diameter as to be slightly larger than the diameter of the brushes 16 and 17. In the center of this hole a contact pin or lug 23 is mounted so as to come flush with the contact ring face on theyone side and to project through the insulating disk some distance on the other side to-provide a rest or stop for the coin to rest on when the disk is in proper position. At 24 a second contact pinor lug passes through the control disk which also serves as a rest or stop for the coin. Pin 24 is secured to the contact ring 15 and is in electrical contact with it. 25 is a coin receptacle. i

The operation of the devicehence is as follows: When a coin of proper size is dropped onto the pins 23 and 24.- connection is made completing the motor circuit so that the current enters, say terminal 21, passes through the brush holder 19, the brush 17 to the pin 24, thence through the coin to pin 23, and out through brush 16 to terminal 20. The motor consequently starts and the disk begins to move at a definite rate proportional thereto dependent on the gear train ratio. As it does so the brush 16 begins to bear onthe contact ring 15 as well as on the pin 23, hence making a more direct path for the current from terminal 21 to terminal 20, namely, through brush 17, the contact ring 15, thence through brush 16 to terminal 20. A moment later the disk has rotated so that the-coin is out of the circuit altogether. The slot in the disk is hence out of register with the slot in the case, and no coin can now be inserted until the disk is again in its position under the slot in the case. of the prepaid period occurs in the follon ing manner: Since the gear ratio is so fixed that one complete revolution of the disk corresponds to the prepaid service in amount, the circuit is to be opened when ,bination With an electric current and-the the revolution of the contact disk is completed. This is accomplished automati-' cally, due to the falling of the coin from its position on the pins to the receptacle below after the disk has made approximately a quarter turn As a result when the .hole 22 in the contact. ring 15 again'assumesa position so that brush 16 bears only on. pin 23 at its centcrand not on the contact 10 ring the'circui't is open and can only be reestablished by the insertion of another coin.

- It is readily seen that coins of smaller diameter than proper would fall into the coin boX at once'and not start the motor; Like- Wise-that the disk is chamfered at the flange to prevent coins from finding a restingplacev on their way. to the coin receptaclec i a I claim:

controlled device, the commechanism driven thereby, of a rotating disk of insulating material actuated by the mechanism at a speed proportional to the speed of said mechanism, a contact ring mounted on the said disk, a plurality of brushes in the circuit spaced from eac'hj other, and adapted to bear. on said ring, an

, electrically conductive lug on said disk ex- I so tended to the bearing face of the contact ring but insulated therefrom, and a second electrically conductive lug on said disk con ne'cted to-saidcontact ring, said lugs being spaced from each other by less than the diameter of-the controlling coin.

2. In a coin controlled device, the combination with an electric current and the mechanism driven thereby, of a rotating disk of insulating material actuated. by the 'mechanism at a speed proportional to the speed of said mechanism, a contact; ring mounted on the said disk, a plurality of brushes in the circuit spaced from each other and adapted to. bear on said ring at different radial distances from the center thereof, an electrically conductive lug on said. disk extended to the bearing face of the contact ring but insulated therefrom,

and a secondjelectrica'lly conductive lug on said disk connected to said contact ring,

said lugs being spaced from each other by less than the diameter of the controlling coin. v

3. In a coin controlled device having a cas ing provided with a coin inlet opening, a

disk having a'continuous body portion rotatable by the driven mechanism, a laterally extended annularflange on theface of the disk adj accnt to its periphery having a notch registrable with the said inlet opening, and a device on the disk Within the said flange adapted to support the -coin until the said notch is out of register with said coin openl. In a coin controlled device having a casing provided with a coin inlet opening,

a disk having a continuous body portion rota-' table by the driven mechanism spaced from the casingby a distance less than the thickness of the controlling coin, a laterally exs tended annular flange on the face of the disk adjacent to 'its periphery chamfered on its inner face. and: having a notch registrable --with the said inlet opening, and a device on the disk-within. the sai'dflange adapted to support thecoin until the said notch is out of register with said coinopening. 5. In an electrically operated coin 'controlled device, the combination of a motor, I

an. insulating control disk-driven by the .motor, a 'contact ring on. one face of said disk, a conducting lug set into said ring but an insulating control disk driven by the motor, a contact ring on one face of said disk, a conducting lug'setinto said ring but "insulated therefrom brushes bearing on said IlIlg, contact extensions or pins projecting,

from the other-face of said ring and said lug adapted to receive a coin whereby a circuit traverses the coin until the mechanism contact ring. a a Y a 7. In an electrically operated'coin controlled device; the combination with a motor .has moved toiestablish a circuit through the of a contact ring adapted to'form a part of the motor circuit and driven by the motor,

a brush normally out of contact with said ring and forming a partof the'motor circuit, coin closable'meansfor establishing the electrlcal connection of the said brush and the said ring, and means for breakingthe connection thereof at a predetermined point of operation. y

8.'. In, an electrically operated coin con trolled device; the combination with a motor of a plurality of brushes in the motor circuit,

acontinuous' bearing path for one of said brushes and ,cut; away. to a provide a discontmuous bearing path for the other of said a contact ring driven by the motor providing brushes, a contact piece in the cutaway ,por-

tion of the contact ring and insulated therefrom, and means for receiving a coin to'form an electric connectlon betweensaid contact piece and said' contact ring.

- 9. In an electrically operated coin controlled device; the combination with a motor of a contact ring in the motor circuit driven by the motor" and having a discontinuous portion,.a brush in the motor circuit having a bearing path on thecontact ring including sald discontinuous portion, a contact piece in said discontinuous section insulated from the contact ring, and means forre ceiving a coin to form an electric connection between saidcontaet piece and said contact ring.

10. In an electrically operated coin controlled device; the combination with a motor of a contact ring adapted to form a part of the motor circuit driven by, the motor and having a discontinuous portion, a brush in the motor circuit havin a bearing path on the contact ring inclu ing said discontinuous portion, a contact piece in said discontinuous section insulated from the con-- n'esses'.

tact ring, and means for receiving a coin to form an electric connection between said contact piece and said contact ring.

In witness whereof, I have hereunto subscribed my name, this 24th day of December 1915, in the presence of two subscribing wit- LEOPOLD A. HEINE. Witnesses:

ROBERT LEE CHAMBERLAIN,

A. S. PHIILJIS. 

